Midlake Emerge from the Forest, Reveal New Album Details, Tour

Those Midlake boys sure are a rustic bunch. They seem like the kind of folks that only break their schedule of endless camping trips and whittling sessions to write some songs about the mountains and bandits and the old country. Apparently the whittling block has seen a lot of use the last couple of years, as the Denton, Texas-based group has refrained from releasing a record since 2006’s The Trials of Van Occupanther (TMT Review). Perhaps they’ve busy been observing the growth patterns of the North Red Oak Encroaching Fern. Perhaps you think that’s a real plant and not something I just made up.

Whatever it is that has been possessing Midlake’s attention the last three years, it's over now, as the band has finished their third LP, The Courage of Others. Recorded at their custom-built studio in Denton, the record is set for a February 2 release via Bella Union. In the days leading up to the album’s release, the band will embark on a short East Coast tour. Or at least a tentatively short tour, as more dates are said to be announced soon. Being the group’s first live dates since 2007, the trek breaks another long silence for Midlake. Unless, I suppose, they played a show in a secluded forest somewhere. I wouldn’t be too surprised.

The Courage of Others tracklist:

1. Acts of Man2. Winter Dies3. Small Mountain4. Core of Nature5. Fortune6. Rulers, Ruling All Things7. Children of the Grounds8. Bring Down9. The Horn10. The Courage of Others11. In The Ground